College of Veterinary Medicine > Arden Baylink

Arden Baylink

  1. Assistant Professor
  2. EschLEAD Faculty
Email Addressarden.baylink@wsu.edu
LocationBustad 413
Website

Biography

Dr. Baylink originates from a small farming and ranching community in Eastern Oregon. Early interests in nature and wildlife propelled him to pursue a college degree in biology, where he was introduced to research by Dr. Joe Corsini of Eastern Oregon University. Subsequently, Dr. Baylink earned a PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics studying structures of bacterial redox enzymes with Dr. Andy Karplus of Oregon State University, and later studied bacterial pathogenesis as a postdoctoral researcher with Dr. Karen Guillemin and Dr. Jim Remington at University of Oregon. Dr. Baylink advocates for the inclusion of rural individuals, 1st-generation college graduates, and those from low-income backgrounds in science and academia. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Baylink owns the drug discovery company Amethyst Antimicrobials, LLC, and seeks to use insights from research to develop new antibacterials and fight bacterial diseases.

NIH Protein Biotechnology Training Program

Research Interests in proteins and biotechnology

Employs x-ray crystallography, Alphafold2 modeling, in silico, in vitro, and in vivo models to characterize and develop antimicrobial compounds and to study bacterial chemotaxis of enteric pathogens.

Education

  • Postdoctoral Researcher (Bacterial Pathogenesis) University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 2015-2022
  • PhD (Biochemistry & Biophysics) Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 2015
  • BS (Biology major, chemistry minor) Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, OR, 2009

Research Interest

  • Structure-based drug discovery
  • Bacterial chemotaxis
  • Stomach cancer
  • Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)
  • Redox chemistry and reactive oxygen species (ROS)

Publications

Professional Service

  • Faculty Trainer, NIH Protein Biotechnology Training Program, 2025 – present
  • Member, Editorial Review Board for American Society for Microbiology Spectrum, 2022 – present
  • Member, American Society for Microbiology, 2021 – present
  • Member, The Protein Society, 2021 – present
  • Member, Heterodox Academy, 2019 – present

Honors and Awards

  • Lemelson Professional Services for Inventors Award, $4,994, University of Oregon. Title: Professional Web Presence and Search Engine Optimization for Amethyst Antimicrobials, LLC, 2022
  • Translational Research Award, $56,734, OVPRI, University of Oregon. Title: Novel Therapeutics for the Prevention of Stomach Cancers, 2021
  • Presentation Judge for Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) conference, 2021
  • K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, $234,840, NIAID. Title: Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms and Biological Functions of a Novel Bleach-Sensing Bacterial Receptor in Shaping Host-Associated Bacterial Populations in Response to Host Inflammation, 2020
  • Cover of ChemPhysChem, November 2020
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award, $1,150, University of Oregon. Title: Science Outreach to Rural Oregon Universities, 2019
  • Diversity Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholar Mentor, 2019
  • Cover of Protein Science, November 2018
  • Cover of Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, March 2018
  • Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, $183,846, NIDDK Title: Determining the Molecular Basis for ROS-sensing by the Cytosolic Chemoreceptor TlpD from Helicobacter pylori, 2017

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